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The Twenty-Sided Sorceress #5-7
Boss Fight
This is the second volume of the USA TODAY bestselling fantasy series combining the next three books— Heartache , Thicker Than Blood , and Magic to the Bone . Separated from her friends, their fates unknown, and without her magic, Jade must stop fighting on Samir’s terms or else her next battle will be her last.
Level up. Or die.
Jade Crow and her friends faced their worst enemy, her ex-boyfriend Samir, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, and they now lie defeated, and flung across the wilderness.
Samir had trained Jade to be a sorceress, to mold her in his image, until she rejected him and escaped here to Wylde. Jade must stop fighting on Samir’s terms or else her next battle will be her last.
Leveled up and wiser, Jade stands a chance this time, if she follows the true calling of her power, and changes the playing field. Everything has been leading up to this…Roll for initiative!
This is the omnibus of the next three volumes in the USA TODAY bestselling fantasy series, Heartache ; Thicker Than Blood ; Magic to the Bone , collected together for the first time in print.
Level up. Or die.
Jade Crow and her friends faced their worst enemy, her ex-boyfriend Samir, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, and they now lie defeated, and flung across the wilderness.
Samir had trained Jade to be a sorceress, to mold her in his image, until she rejected him and escaped here to Wylde. Jade must stop fighting on Samir’s terms or else her next battle will be her last.
Leveled up and wiser, Jade stands a chance this time, if she follows the true calling of her power, and changes the playing field. Everything has been leading up to this…Roll for initiative!
This is the omnibus of the next three volumes in the USA TODAY bestselling fantasy series, Heartache ; Thicker Than Blood ; Magic to the Bone , collected together for the first time in print.
397 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2017
1 person is currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Annie Bellet
83 books838 followersAnnie Bellet is a full-time speculative fiction writer. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.
Her books include Avarice (Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division: Book 1), The Gryphonpike Chronicles series, and the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series.
Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs, and many other nerdy pursuits.
Want to be notified when her next book is released, receive free stories and books, and be notified about sales and other goodies? Sign up for Annie Bellet's mailing list
Or if you want sneak peaks, regular updates, and exclusive stories, consider supporting her Patreon. Patreon is here!
Her books include Avarice (Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division: Book 1), The Gryphonpike Chronicles series, and the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series.
Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs, and many other nerdy pursuits.
Want to be notified when her next book is released, receive free stories and books, and be notified about sales and other goodies? Sign up for Annie Bellet's mailing list
Or if you want sneak peaks, regular updates, and exclusive stories, consider supporting her Patreon. Patreon is here!
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 11, 2017
Thank goodness I had these books in one edition. The first one would have KILLED me if I had to wait for the next book. Anyway, good stuff, lots of action, after four books I like Jade and friends a lot more. Lots of growth, appreciate the humor and Jade's "don't get hurt because of me" attitude.
Lots of entertainment, loved the series.
Lots of entertainment, loved the series.
March 17, 2022
I desperately wish I could rate this book in two halves. The first would be 2 stars and the second would probably be 4.5. Soooo... Goodreads, you're killing me here. Ugh. Fine. 4, because overall this was still a fantastic ride and I love all these characters to bits.
Overall, I'm satisfied with this end. We got character growth, we got cool magic and brief but awesome dragons, we got nerd shit from here to Sunday, and we got the ragtag team kicking ass and gettting stronger. The suspense at times was really real. I was flipping pages on the train and ignoring what stop I was at entirely. We got excellent side characters, which is a massive yes from me. And, we got carnage and death so it didn't feel like some glittery happy ending at all, which I'm generally a fan of. When things are too perfect it feels just that - like the characters cheated somehow because they won while avoiding the suffering that so many side character experienced. This was believable. Many characters were emotionally wracked, one died, and poor Jade has a lot to rebuild - literally. But they have each other. They love and support each other in that found family of nerds and badasses, and watching them be victorious was super satisfying. I wished we had more time than a short chapter to savor it though.
Let's get the complaints over with, which really is just Jade's whole deal for awhile. She had so much self-pity in the first half it was smothering. And I understand it, I do. That didn't make it fun to read. The repetitive self-hatred and "I'm doing this on my own because I kill everyone so trust BAD" grated on my nerves a bit too much and dragged everything down. There were so many bad, stupid, irrational, contradictory decisions that I was actually getting pissed at her and getting worried about the remaining 200 pages because I was not enjoying myself. Once we got her into the library and back to doing magic again we were on the right track and everything picked up at the prison chaos. She still had a nasty habit of speaking in absolutes and then breaking those words within 5 pages (ex. "No more secrets! I trust these people!" Next fucking page: "So we can't tell Harper I won't kill Samir..."). It made it hard to believe anything she said. Also, we focused a bit much on the "humans will find out" aspect, which is probably my least favourite fantasy trope. But that's a me thing, so YMMV.
The introduction of multiple perspectives made sense, but it's often not my favourite tactic. I find I get settled with one perspective only to be shifted to another moments later. A rough situation when I love fantasy so much and multiple perspectives is often a given for huge worlds, but hey. These are my burdens. I didn't hate it in this book, really, and I understood its purpose with the party split.
Positive things: training montage. I love me a great training montage. Her Dad was cool, the revealed secrets and abilities were cool, just... Magic. Is. Cool. The magic system in this series is just so damn awesome. It's stretchy in an imaginative way, and the way Jade wields hers D&D style is superb. Reading someone with that much power learn how to use it is just a lot of fun. Also cat dragons, hell yeah.
Side characters. Time and again I am a sucker for fleshed out side characters, and I adore Jade's circle of friends, even Cal and the team that break her into prison. Wish we'd heard from them again. They feel real enough that when I didn't see them at the end I felt those loose ends more intently. Same goes for Yosemite. I want to know where he and Ezee left things, even if they were just feeling it out still. I'd like to see them together I guess, I'm a sucker for that stuff. Anyway. Excellent attention to the world in general in these books, and it's one of my favourite parts. When the whole town was up for the big boom it was actually devastating because you care about all those "little people".
Jade and Alek are a great couple, and even though they spent most of the book apart, I still love their relationship. The trust is huge, especially on Alek's end.
Harper is a badass. Like, holy shit. I didn't know she could go that hard to be honest, but loss hits everyone differently and kickstarted her Boss genes. I really hope she'll be okay after some time. Or at least, better.
The Archivist was a fascinating character. I'd read an entire book on him alone.
Samir was such a hateable villain. He was written well in that aspect. I despised him. Ugh.
So I actually would read more of this. Even slice of life. Hell, I'd adore a full-length slice of life following up on this book. Don't know if that's in the cards, but I'd sure as hell read it. [UPDATE: I've discovered there are a few more individual volumes available on ebook, so I'll be checking those out!] I really enjoyed my time with these characters, this world, these shifters and sorcerers. Definitely recommend these two volumes.
Overall, I'm satisfied with this end. We got character growth, we got cool magic and brief but awesome dragons, we got nerd shit from here to Sunday, and we got the ragtag team kicking ass and gettting stronger. The suspense at times was really real. I was flipping pages on the train and ignoring what stop I was at entirely. We got excellent side characters, which is a massive yes from me. And, we got carnage and death so it didn't feel like some glittery happy ending at all, which I'm generally a fan of. When things are too perfect it feels just that - like the characters cheated somehow because they won while avoiding the suffering that so many side character experienced. This was believable. Many characters were emotionally wracked, one died, and poor Jade has a lot to rebuild - literally. But they have each other. They love and support each other in that found family of nerds and badasses, and watching them be victorious was super satisfying. I wished we had more time than a short chapter to savor it though.
Let's get the complaints over with, which really is just Jade's whole deal for awhile. She had so much self-pity in the first half it was smothering. And I understand it, I do. That didn't make it fun to read. The repetitive self-hatred and "I'm doing this on my own because I kill everyone so trust BAD" grated on my nerves a bit too much and dragged everything down. There were so many bad, stupid, irrational, contradictory decisions that I was actually getting pissed at her and getting worried about the remaining 200 pages because I was not enjoying myself. Once we got her into the library and back to doing magic again we were on the right track and everything picked up at the prison chaos. She still had a nasty habit of speaking in absolutes and then breaking those words within 5 pages (ex. "No more secrets! I trust these people!" Next fucking page: "So we can't tell Harper I won't kill Samir..."). It made it hard to believe anything she said. Also, we focused a bit much on the "humans will find out" aspect, which is probably my least favourite fantasy trope. But that's a me thing, so YMMV.
The introduction of multiple perspectives made sense, but it's often not my favourite tactic. I find I get settled with one perspective only to be shifted to another moments later. A rough situation when I love fantasy so much and multiple perspectives is often a given for huge worlds, but hey. These are my burdens. I didn't hate it in this book, really, and I understood its purpose with the party split.
Positive things: training montage. I love me a great training montage. Her Dad was cool, the revealed secrets and abilities were cool, just... Magic. Is. Cool. The magic system in this series is just so damn awesome. It's stretchy in an imaginative way, and the way Jade wields hers D&D style is superb. Reading someone with that much power learn how to use it is just a lot of fun. Also cat dragons, hell yeah.
Side characters. Time and again I am a sucker for fleshed out side characters, and I adore Jade's circle of friends, even Cal and the team that break her into prison. Wish we'd heard from them again. They feel real enough that when I didn't see them at the end I felt those loose ends more intently. Same goes for Yosemite. I want to know where he and Ezee left things, even if they were just feeling it out still. I'd like to see them together I guess, I'm a sucker for that stuff. Anyway. Excellent attention to the world in general in these books, and it's one of my favourite parts. When the whole town was up for the big boom it was actually devastating because you care about all those "little people".
Jade and Alek are a great couple, and even though they spent most of the book apart, I still love their relationship. The trust is huge, especially on Alek's end.
Harper is a badass. Like, holy shit. I didn't know she could go that hard to be honest, but loss hits everyone differently and kickstarted her Boss genes. I really hope she'll be okay after some time. Or at least, better.
The Archivist was a fascinating character. I'd read an entire book on him alone.
Samir was such a hateable villain. He was written well in that aspect. I despised him. Ugh.
So I actually would read more of this. Even slice of life. Hell, I'd adore a full-length slice of life following up on this book. Don't know if that's in the cards, but I'd sure as hell read it. [UPDATE: I've discovered there are a few more individual volumes available on ebook, so I'll be checking those out!] I really enjoyed my time with these characters, this world, these shifters and sorcerers. Definitely recommend these two volumes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2017
I loved these books, gamer perspectives, fun characters, lots of potential for action and growth. For the most part, these three books keep the good going. Many things I love are in them. I have started to notice an annoying pattern. Jade goes into a situation pumped up and going to give it all she has to defeat the problem. Then something unexpected happens at the beginning, sometimes even before the fight, and she puts all of her energy into solving it leaving nothing for the fight and she is defeated. Over and over again. This seems like a huge blind spot nobody is noticing and it drives me nuts. It feels like an artifact of the writing to explain why she doesn't win rather than a characteristic. It is never mentioned outside of "I am currently out of power because I blew it all already." And then it happens again with no thought of having been there before and it being a mistake. Not even after it is all over. Bahh.
On the good side, by the end of the third book, she finally learns a life lesson and grows a bit. This made a huge difference to me. I would like to see this happen with her "use up all my powers" approaches to problems. Even if it is just, "Oh, I keep doing this thing and causing myself problems." There could be lots of reasons why she keeps doing it but it would be a growth curve.
I will give another one or two a try but if this repeated tendency of hers which causes problems isn't addressed, I probably won't be able to keep enjoying them. It is a pet peeve of mine which does cause its own problems.
On the good side, by the end of the third book, she finally learns a life lesson and grows a bit. This made a huge difference to me. I would like to see this happen with her "use up all my powers" approaches to problems. Even if it is just, "Oh, I keep doing this thing and causing myself problems." There could be lots of reasons why she keeps doing it but it would be a growth curve.
I will give another one or two a try but if this repeated tendency of hers which causes problems isn't addressed, I probably won't be able to keep enjoying them. It is a pet peeve of mine which does cause its own problems.
January 26, 2022
Talk about raising the stakes! These last three books were packed with action, humor, heart, and magic. I really enjoyed this volume and its twists, as well as Jade’s development.
For the most part, this collection focuses and Jade “levelling up” and understanding the stakes she would have against her evil ex. I was glad to see some other POV characters take over, essentially keeping the party together in the story when they were split apart.
I really, really loved Harper’s story, filled with tragedy as it was. That said, Jade is still the standout with her humour and compassion. I loved some of the new characters and wished we could have spent more time with them.
The action and magic were as on point as ever, though the final battle did move a little more quickly than I anticipated. Still, I never felt bored thanks to the creativity of the author.
While there are still some unanswered questions and potentially unresolved plot threads, which are likely going to be wrapped up in the other two books created outside the omnibuses, this is a satisfying conclusion.
Definitely recommended for readers who have a love for Dungeons & Dragons, RPG’s, urban fantasy, and witty heroes!
For the most part, this collection focuses and Jade “levelling up” and understanding the stakes she would have against her evil ex. I was glad to see some other POV characters take over, essentially keeping the party together in the story when they were split apart.
I really, really loved Harper’s story, filled with tragedy as it was. That said, Jade is still the standout with her humour and compassion. I loved some of the new characters and wished we could have spent more time with them.
The action and magic were as on point as ever, though the final battle did move a little more quickly than I anticipated. Still, I never felt bored thanks to the creativity of the author.
While there are still some unanswered questions and potentially unresolved plot threads, which are likely going to be wrapped up in the other two books created outside the omnibuses, this is a satisfying conclusion.
Definitely recommended for readers who have a love for Dungeons & Dragons, RPG’s, urban fantasy, and witty heroes!
September 20, 2017
There are some distressing happenings in these books, but after the gazillionth "I must face him alone! I must protect you all!" it was good to see that Jade can learn to work with a team. Satisfying reveals, satisfying boss fight, now I just want general adventure sans Samir but with this crew. Let's see where the story goes next.
August 25, 2017
I am much more satisfied with this volume than volume 1. It had less of a villain of the week feel and more of a continual build to the story. Very entertaining vacation read, and Heritage had one of the best book dedications I have ever read.
February 5, 2018
I just like books with strong willed wise cracking women that do not have all their shit together but have some serious kick ass magic. I married one and (I hope) raised one. So I liked these books.
April 20, 2019
I was struggling towards the end not to toss the book at the wall, as I was so tired of having the lead character say "Everything is all my fault" and "I fux@$! up". Nice "found family" theme and some good worldbuilding otherwise.
September 2, 2017
an excellent continuation of the series. I hope there will be more in the future! I found the idea that a dragon born of humans gets to choose it's dragon form to be REALLY intriguing!
October 1, 2017
Absolutely loved the dedication in Heartache. (As my teenage daughter would say "Same!")
Overall, great series!
Overall, great series!
May 12, 2018
This is three books in one. I enjoyed Heartache the first book. But the two after, they were slow, painfully slow. I skimmed a lot. I felt very bored. The end was very anticlimactic.
September 4, 2019
Loved this series💜
June 13, 2021
So good. Excellent action and great characters.
August 26, 2022
Fun story and characters. I read the previous books some time ago. This is a world, similar to reality, with magic and magical creatures. Worth a read.
September 1, 2022
Part of my 2022 PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book about a "found family"
March 6, 2017
Really liking this series. I've said this before and I'll say it again, if you like Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series, you will probably like this one too. Jade reminds me sooo much of Mercy. Strong, bad-ass women who are kicking butt, taking names and leaving no prisoners. LOVE THEM!!!!!!
Anyway, looking forward to reading the next installment to find out what what new shenanigans Jade and her misfit friends get into.
Anyway, looking forward to reading the next installment to find out what what new shenanigans Jade and her misfit friends get into.
October 2, 2019
This review will encompass the first seven books of a series at once. They are relatively short, more episodes than complete works on their own, and build to one continuous overarching story.
This series is fun but not particularly serious. It’s good for light summer reading. Character change is minimal, and glossed over when it does happen. Most changes in how characters relate to one another happen at the beginning and end of books: Jade Crow, the main character, gets into a relationship, has issues with it, and resolves the issues all in short scenes at the beginning and end of books.
My largest complaint throughout the series is that the scenes aren’t the right length. Major changes happen too quickly, especially in the action scenes. All the adversaries faced are formidable for the ‘level’ of the main characters, and the suspense leading up to each battle is well-laid. However, every single battle, win or lose, is over in a couple of pages. The actual confrontation occurs in a few moments. The characters try one thing which either works or doesn’t, and then the battle is decided: if it doesn’t work, they lose–if it does, they win. There is no rallying from almost-certain defeat in the middle of battle, no prolonged exchange of blows, no original plans being thrown out the window and creative solutions winning out. As a result, the wins and losses both don’t feel significant. Intellectually, the reader and the characters know that success is good and failure bad, but the characters aren’t given time to emotionally process either development, so the reader doesn’t either. The human element in these stories is very shallow.
For those who have played Dungeons and Dragons, the references to spells and creatures in the game are fun. I enjoyed seeing them being used to channel ‘real-life’ magic, and the wholesome, non-judgemental integration of gaming online and in person. Most of the time, when gaming is referenced it is done derogatorily. One or a few characters are made fun of for engaging in such activity. They are usually over-the-top nerdy and socially inept, and trying to fit in with the ‘regular’ world. Here, most of the characters game in one way or another, and doing so is shown as simply a fun thing that people do. Being a nerd and a gamer is not lumped into the same category. They have their own social structure, and fulfilling friendships and relationships. They introduce others to gaming, rather than forsaking it for new connections. They aren’t the usual trope of longing to be ‘normal,’ but rather revel in the games and shows they enjoy. It was refreshing to see gamers portrayed as real people whose entire identity is not limited gaming.
The characters in the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series are real, well-established people, who unfortunately do not develop believably or much. The moments of change in the series are skimmed over, not allowing the characters or readers to emotionally process developments. I rate this series 6/10.
readingrampant.wordpress.com
December 8, 2016
I enjoy this series and the fact that it's a set of short stories presented as an anthology. Level Grind was books 1-4 and this book has stories 5-7. A great way to present these sorcerers, shape shifters, witches and other paranormal beings. Jade and Alex have escaped to Wylde, a paranormal community that harbors a lot of secrets from the world. But now Jade's old boyfriend, wicked sorcerer Shamir has show up to kill her friends to punish her. Jade has grown into a pretty powerful sorcerer herself but can't control all her magic. The tension builds as the town rallies to prevent Shamir from destroying everything in his path. Hope the next installment comes quickly, it's best to read the books in order to have all the background info you need. There is something for all fantasy lovers in this set of books.
January 23, 2017
Like Level Grind, an omnibus of several novellas, however the ending of the first one (the aptly-named Heartache) was such a cliff-hanger that I pretty much read all three together as one novel. The evil ex sorcerer who lurks in the background of Level Grind arrives in Boss Fight.
Strong tension, likeable characters, quick pacing and both shifters and sorcerer magic made for a quick read.
Strong tension, likeable characters, quick pacing and both shifters and sorcerer magic made for a quick read.
September 16, 2016
Quick read, liked them. ARC from Edelweis.
March 26, 2017
3.5 rating, really. Loved the long adventure
April 6, 2017
Boss Fight Success! The gamer in me loved it :)
May 1, 2017
A fun wrap up to the series - loved meeting Ash, and learning Jade's true heritage. If the star rating could be more precise, I'd probably give this series a solid 3.75 overall - good reads with some interesting twists and characters one cares about.
May 2, 2017
LOVED IT. Can't wait for the next one. Didn't expect the battle to go the way it did alot of the time. So thats always nice.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews